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. 2022 Sep 11;14(18):4413.
doi: 10.3390/cancers14184413.

Quality-of-Life Evaluation of Patients with Unresectable Locally Advanced or Locally Recurrent Head and Neck Carcinoma Treated with Head and Neck Photoimmunotherapy

Isaku Okamoto  1 , Takuro Okada  1 , Kunihiko Tokashiki  1 , Kiyoaki Tsukahara  1
Affiliations

Quality-of-Life Evaluation of Patients with Unresectable Locally Advanced or Locally Recurrent Head and Neck Carcinoma Treated with Head and Neck Photoimmunotherapy

Isaku Okamoto et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Head and neck photoimmunotherapy (HN-PIT), a new treatment developed for local control of head and neck carcinoma, uses cetuximab sarotalocan sodium with a laser system to specifically destroy only tumor cells. No studies have examined the impact of HN-PIT on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with head and neck cancer. This study assessed the QOL of patients with unresectable locally advanced or locally recurrent head and neck carcinoma (LA/LR-HNC) treated with HN-PIT. Nine eligible patients with unresectable LA/LR-HNC who underwent HN-PIT at our institution between 20 January 2021 and 30 April 2022 were included in the study. They completed a QOL evaluation form. The primary endpoint was QOL assessment. The secondary endpoints were overall response rate, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, and adverse events. QOL was compared before and 4 weeks after HN-PIT. There were no significant changes in all QOL assessment parameters after treatment with HN-PIT. The overall response rate was 89%, and safety was acceptable. For patients with unresectable LA/LR-HNC, HN-PIT provided good local control without decreasing the QOL. The addition of HN-PIT to conventional head and neck carcinoma treatment may lead to the prolongation of OS in head and neck carcinoma.

Keywords: cetuximab sarotalocan sodium; head and neck photoimmunotherapy; quality of life; unresectable locally advanced or locally recurrent head and neck carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Quality of life assessments. (A) Functional scales (physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social activities) and (B) global health status were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30. (C) Domain scales (pain, swallowing, sense problems, speech problems, trouble with social eating, trouble with social contact, and reduced sexuality) were assessed using the QLQ-H&N35. All scales ranged from 0 to 100, and score changes of at least 10 points were considered clinically significant. Higher values for functional and domain scales indicate poor functioning, whereas higher values for global health status indicate better functioning. The I bar indicates 95% confidence intervals. QOL, quality of life; EORTC QLQ-C30, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 Module; QLQ-H&N35, Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Cancer Module.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan–Meier curves of (A) overall survival and (B) progression-free survival. Vertical lines show censored events.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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